Apparatus for delivering adhesive strips.



C. B. FROST.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING ADHESIVE STRIPS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3.1910. RENEWED JUNE 25,1917.

mawm Patented Aug. 7,1917.

CLARENCE B. FROST, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING- ADHESIVE STRIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

Application filed. June 3, 1910, Serial No. 564,741. Renewed June 25, 1917. Serial No. 176,920.

tus retaining a supply of inadhesive strip Which is kept free from contact with the device which renders it adhesive when needed. The invention relates to improvements in such apparatus which concern particularly the means by which the strip is severed by the operator at the point desired close to the moistening roll without interfering with his grasp when the next portion is to be drawn forth, the tension or holding meansto retain the supply in proper condition, the container for the supply, and the other features incidental to the construction herein set forth, the general purpose being to improve the construction and simplify the apparatus in its making and in its operation and to obtain the improved results which are incident to this construction.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan of apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the tape being drawn forth;

Fig. 3 is a similar side elevation showing the tape being severed Hand Fig. 4 is a front elevation of a detail in section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. a g

The supply of tape is marked 10, being in the form of a roll from which the tape 11 is led between spring table 12 and the foot 13, passing over the moistening roll.

14: which is set into a bath'15 of material for rendering the tape adhesive. For many purposes glimmed paper tape will be employed in which case the tape is rolled with the gummed side outward, and the liquid constituting the bath 15 is water. The roll 10 is contained in a rectangular box having side walls 16, rear walls 17, a front wall 18 and a base 19, all of these parts, except the base, being represented as made of sheet metal; and a top 20 ofsheet metal is also provided. It is one feature of the inventlon to eliminate the spindle which has heretofore been required for supporting rolls of tape in apparatus of this sort and to eliminate or improve the tension arrangement. To this end the roll is supported in a V-shaped bottom and the tape is led out from the under side of the roll; and the tape is maintained in this position by side barriers one of which as represented in the drawing is the side 16 of the container seen in Fig. 2 andthe other of which is the adjustable plate 21. The V-shaped bottom marked 22 is clearly seen in Fig. 2, being formed by a plate of sheet metal which occupies the. full Width 'of the container and is held in place by screw 23. The front portion of the V has a series of slots 22 through either of which may project a tongue 21' at the lower end of division plate 21. Similar slots 22" and projections 21 are at the rear. At the top of the rear part of the container is an auxiliary plate 17 having a series of slots 17 in which the upper rear portion of the plate 21 may enter. By this means a standard size and shape of container is made available for holding rolls of tape of as many different widths as may be desired; and as many as the width of the container will permit may be installed at the same time; or a container adapted to hold a number of rolls of varying widths or difiering from each otherin other respects, as, for example, in the quality of tape or the printed matter thereon, may be used with any fewer number of them; and each roll will be properly held. Thus, Fig. 1 illustrates apparatus adapted to hold two rolls of tape only'one of which is present. An-

other roll might be put on the other side By shifting the plate 21 to the of plate 21. adjacent slots shown inFig. 1 tape of the next greater width could be substituted for that shown and would be held equally well..

plate 22 serves for all of the rolls however numerous and serves for each of them with equal elfectiveness and without adjustment whatever he the condition of each of the other rolls as to being full or nearly exhausted. It will be understood that the slots 17 and 22 and 22" are to be placed When tape is drawn forth there is tendency to draw the roll up the incline of the front portion of the 'V and the roll, or course, rolls backward down to the bottom of the V, the outer convolutions of tape on the rear side of the roll being always kept close to the other convolutions, because it cannot get loose without the tape unrolling itself, 2'. e., the roll rotating on its axis, and this cannot happen without the roll rolling upward on the rear. portion of the V, which it does not do because it is against nature. Therefore, the roll stays normally pressing toward the bottom of the V and holds itself tightly wound owing to its pressure against the two limbs of the V; and this condition continues at all stages of size of the roll as it becomes gradually exhausted until the very end, as has been demonstrated in practice.

For the control and manipulation of the tape outside of the container the plate which constitutes the V also plays an important part in thatbeing made of spring metal it presses upward against the foot 13 at the lower end of the front container, and the tape is frictionally pressed between these two and is held with sufficient firmness for the severing operation. The spring is formed so that normally it tends to occupy a position a little above that illustrated. The front 18 and the top 20 constitute a cover which are hinged to the remainder of the container at 24. As represented the upper plate 20 is attached by rivets 25 to an under plate 26 which has side flanges 27 depending and fitting closely outside the tops of the side plate 16 and at the front ends of these flanges are studs or pins 28 by Which the flanges 18 of the front plate 18 are attached to the flanges 27 of the under cover plate 26, these pins forming pivots on which the front may be swung to a small degree in a forward or backward direction. At the lower part of the front is a cross rod 29 adapted to engage in a notch 16' in the side plates. When open the cover and front swing upward about the hinge 24 enabling a full roll of tape to be inserted, the free end being underneath and being led out over the forward end of the V plate 22 and over the spring table 12 at the front end thereof. When the cover is closed, after the front is swung down far enough it may be pushed to the rear, swinging on its pivots 28 so that its rod 29engages in the notch 16. Before reaching this position the foot foot 13 and front 18 upward and thus holding firmly the latch 29 in the notch 16'. The parts may be opened by the operator pulling the front forward with a firm grasp in which case the pin will be pulled out of latch 29 and the cover opened.

The means for rendering the tape adhesive may be any suitable means but as illustrated consists of a sheet metal container for liquid in which a roll 14 supported on axle pins 14 is set, dipping slightly into the bath, the level of which is maintained substantially uniform at the level of the mouth 15' of the reservoir in which liquid is stored at a higher elevation, a little of the liquid escaping from time to time whenever the level outside falls low enough to let in air. Liquid is reserved against evaporation by causing t e roll 14 to fill up the open portion of the moistening pan 15 as closely as can reasonably be done without the water ca-rried up on its surface rubbing against the adjacent walls. The supply of liquid which is contained in the covered part of the reservoir to the left of the mouth 15 is protected against evaporamay occur through the narrow crack 'between the roll 14 and the walls of that part of the pan. The moistener may be removed by opening the top and raising the front 18 in which case the table 12 may be raised out of the way.

The severing blade 30 normally occupies the position seen in Fig. 3 in which it is close to the moistening roll so that the operator in drawing the tape can gage the position on the tape at which the severing will occur. This enables him to sever with precision in cases where precision is desirable. The blade 30 is pivotally mounted at 31 on cars 32 which project from the front 18, and has a portion 33 extending to the rear of the pivot, weighted as at 34 and adapted to engage the top of the ears which act as a stop for it. The weight 34 holds the blade normally in the position shown in Fig. 3

- base in any suitable manner,

ted position the blade automatically assumes the position shown in Fig. 3 so that tape may be severed with an upward motion of the operator as there illustrated. It will be obvious that by a suitable variation in the angle of position of theblade 30 or of the moistener the blade may be made to sever either at the point where the tape first touches the moistening roll or in advance of it or to the rear of it; also that the blade may be nearer to the moistening roll than here illustrated, enabling a still greater degree of accuracy of judgment by the operator when to stop drawing tape in order to sever it precisely at any desired point because the receding feature of the blade illustrated in Fig. 2 provides room for the operator to grasp the remaining tape end.

The top parts may be fastened to the the means illustrated being by a slight expansion into the base as indicated at 35. The screw hole 36 is for fastening the apparatus to a table or bench. The base is represented as having a lug 37 rising inside and a lug 38 ris ing outside of the bottom edge of the sheet metal sides of the receptacle, thus holding these sides firmly against spreading. The tops of the sides are held against spreading or collapsing by the device illustrated in Fig. 4:, where the side flanges 27 of the top cooperate with the round or beveled ends of an interior spreader 39 to form a contracting throat into which the tops of the side walls 16 enter. The interior spreader may be, as illustrated, a piece of sheet metal riveted to the top with its ends bent into a curve which guides the sides 27 into their proper position and holds them there so that the thin material of the sides is held firm and rigid.

WVhen the cover is closed its lowest edge 13, pressing against the spring 12, gives a uniform tension on the tape, and this is regardless of the size of the roll or supply within, being in this respect unlike apparatus hitherto known in which it is necessary to adjust the tension'on the supply roll whenever a fresh roll is inserted.

I claim as my invention:

1. In apparatus of the class described the combination of a means of rendering tape adhesive and a tension device with a receptacle for holding a supply roll of tape loosely, the receptacle having sidewalls positioning the roll, and having a bottom afi'ording two simultaneous supports for the roll below and on opposite sides of the axis.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination, with means for rendering tape adhesive, of an abutment facing downward adjacent thereto, and a tape support; said tape support pressing upward against the abutment, constituting tension means, and

having a portion which is V-shaped and adapted to receive and support the periphery of a supply roll of tape.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a device for rendering tape adhesive, a holder for a supply of tape and a severing blade, yieldable in the direction opposite that of the draft of the tape arranged between the holder and said device closely adjacent to the said device, on the other side of the strip therefrom.

4:. In apparatus of the class described, the combination of a device fixed in position for rendering a strip of tape adhesive, a severing blade pivoted with its edge normally toward and close to said device, allowing space for tape to pass between without touching either, and movable backward from said device on its pivot allowing ones fingers to reach behind said device, and means to hold a supply of tape behind said device and blade.

5. In apparatus for delivering adhesive tape, a container comprised of a \l-shaped bottom wherein a supply roll may rest on its periphery and one or more partitions perpendicular to the sides of the V, and means to hold said partitions comprising sets of notches provided in the sides of the V in various parallel planes and projections of the partitions adapted to fit therein.

6. In apparatus for delivering adhesive tape a'container with a V-shaped bottom, wherein a supply roll of tape may rest on its periphery, there being in the front and back portions of said bottom, and in a plate elsewhere in the holder out of line with those two, notches arranged in sets respectively of three in planes perpendicular to the sides of the V, and one or more plates shaped and adapted to enter the three notches of a set, thereby forming a .movable partition perpendicular to the sides of the V.

7. In apparatus for delivering adhesive tape, a holder for a supply, an upward pressing spring plate over which the tape passes from the holder; a cover hinged at the rear and having a part adapted to press down on the tape on the spring plate; a latch having a horizontal entrance for fastening the cover closed on the holder, which latch the spring maintains closed; and means outside the holder for rendering the tape adhesive.

8. In apparatus for delivering adhesive tape the combination of a container for a supply of inadhesive tape; a device outside the container for rendering the tape adhesive, including a reservoir for liquid; a spring guide plate by which the tape is led from the container to said device, said plate overlapping the reservoir; a cover for the retainer overlapping the guide plate, between which and the cover the tape issues;

and a latch for the cover when closed; the cover when closed pressing the spring plate, thereby holding itself, the tape and the reservoir in place.

9. In apparatus for delivering adhesive tape the combination of a receptacle arranged for a supply roll to rest loosely on its bottom; the receptacle having side walls of sheet metal, and a cover comprising its front and top hinged at the upper rear corner; and means for supporting the upper front portion of the side walls, comprising flanges turned down on the sides of the cover and adapted to inclose said side walls, and a spreader on the cover between the flanges having its ends curved convexly close to said flanges, forming a contracting throat into which the tops of the walls enter and in which they are held when the cover is closed.

10. In apparatus for delivering adhesive tape, a container for a supply roll having a discharge opening for tape, combined with a molstenlng device ad aCent thereto having a pan, and a raised reservoir portion whose only outlet is near the bottom of the pan, and a non-absorbent roller pivotally supported over the pan with its bottom projecting below the level of the outlet from said reservoir portion, the Walls of the pan rising close to said roller, whereby the roller constitutes a stopper preventing evaporation from the pan, with sufficient clearance to allowmoisture to ride up on its surface without touching the pan sides.

11. A machine of the character set forth, comprising a roll receptacle having curved bottom-walls provided with a series of longitudinally-disposed slots, a partition plate having its base-portion received in one of said slots, a moistening device in front of said receptacle, and a severing-device above said moistening device.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 26th day of May, 1910.

. CLARENCE B. FROST.

Witnesses:

EVERETT E. KENT HAROLD S. LYON. 

